Eli Apple and Sam Hubbard came up with takeaways to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a big win for the second week in a row.
It was another former Buckeye who struck the first blow for the Bengals as Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense methodically marched 75 yards in the game's opening drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Burrow scored on an eight-yard scramble to give the home team a 7-0 lead.
Whatever it takes, @JoeyB
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 28, 2021
: Watch on CBS pic.twitter.com/6axjMiv5Kk
Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers tried to answer, but Eli Apple intercepted Big Ben's second pass of the game and returned it 50 yards to the visitor's 5-yard line.
Eli Apple's back shoulder INT leads to a big @Bengals return! #RuleTheJungle
— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2021
: #PITvsCIN on CBS
: NFL app pic.twitter.com/TseYSJfSCc
The stage was set for a blowout that was led by the Bengals' defense. Sam Hubbard helped secure the victory by recovering a fumble and dropping Big Ben for a sack in the third quarter.
GO GO GO OOF pic.twitter.com/IPjhxZNdt8
— (@SimplyAS10) November 28, 2021
A 41-10 victory gave the Bengals (7–4) a sweep of the Steelers (5–5) for the first time since 2009.
Bosa brother double
Joey and Nick Bosa both added to their sack totals on Sunday. Nick's six-yard sack of Kirk Cousins occurred in the second quarter of the San Francisco 49ers’ 34-26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. His 11th sack of the season contributed to San Francisco winning its third straight game and clawing back into the playoff discussion.
BOSAAAAAAAAA @nbsmallerbear 11th sack on the year. #ProBowlVote#MINvsSF on FOX pic.twitter.com/CrSF0M5Qd9
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 28, 2021
Joey Bosa's strip sack of Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater extended his sack streak to four games. The eldest Bosa brother also has a league leading four strip sacks on the season.
But that wasn't enough for the Los Angeles Chargers, who lost at Denver, 28-13. And Bridgewater got revenge on Joey later in the game.
Teddy Bridgewater's stiff-armed Joey Bosa into Monday... #BroncosCountry #LACvsDEN pic.twitter.com/2EE7KKbwnH
— MaximBet (@MaximBetUSA) November 28, 2021
Haven't seen a rejection that stiff since my futile dating days in high school.
Samuel returns
Curtis Samuel has been sidelined this season due to a groin injury and illness, but made his return against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. The dynamic receiver saw his first action since playing against the New Orleans Saints on the third of October.
Playing on a snap limit, Samuel was able to snag one catch for nine yards and had a four-yard carry. No. 10 also made a key block on what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.
J.D. McKissic TD X 2! #WashingtonFootball regains the lead.
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 30, 2021
(Via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/xWBzCPPDbU
Terry McLaurin had a quiet game in the Washington Football Team's 17-15 victory with four catches for 41 yards.
Turkey day touchdown machine
Ezekiel Elliott scored on a one-yard run for his fourth career Thanksgiving Day touchdown, on which he also tied Michael Irvin with 65 career touchdowns for the Cowboys.
You know @EzekielElliott had to eat on Thanksgiving #DallasCowboys
— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021
: #LVvsDAL on CBS
: NFL app pic.twitter.com/tB2QIXBbHg
Zeke’s touchdown wasn't enough as Dallas lost to the Las Vegas Raiders when Daniel Carlson made a 29-yard field goal in overtime to give the Raiders a 36-33 victory.
Early reports after the Thanksgiving loss indicated the Cowboys might rest Zeke against the Saints on Thursday.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy "concerned" about RB Ezekiel Elliott (knee), might alter his workload https://t.co/4GUyv4sDSH pic.twitter.com/9uEO6Zpgxu
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) November 26, 2021
On Sunday, the former Buckeye running back gave some insight on the situation.
“No one has come to me and asked me to rest. If they bring it up to me, I've just got to go with what they think is best for the team, and leave it at that,” Elliott said, via Nick Eatman of the team website.
Elliott's knee has been bothering him since he injured it against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. Zeke added: “I've been dealing with it for almost two months now. It has gotten a little better, but it does get stiff. It's a long season. We plan on playing late into the playoffs.”
A decision on if Elliott plays against the Saints may not be made until game day against New Orleans.
Firsts for Roby and Vannett
With the Saints trailing 10-0 late in the second quarter, Bradley Roby recorded his first interception of the season when he stepped in front of Josh Allen's pass intended for Stefon Diggs.
Bradley Roby gets his first pick as a Saint
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 26, 2021
@Saints
pic.twitter.com/wYtZiQh8ws
The Saints did not take advantage of the turnover and went into halftime trailing 10-0. The Buffalo Bills extended the lead to 24-0 until Nick Vannett caught his first touchdown pass of the season.
The @Saints are on the board!
— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2021
: #BUFvsNO on NBC
: NFL app pic.twitter.com/h48xgEFfvD
The Saints have lost four consecutive games and dropped to 5–6. Sean Payton's team is flirting with not making the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.
Sermon on the shelf
Trey Sermon's rookie season continues to be injury-riddled. On Sunday, he rolled his ankle while covering on special teams. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Sermon could be placed on short-term injured reserve, which would mean he’d be out for at least three weeks.
#49ers RB Trey Sermon has an ankle sprain but it's not a high ankle. Kyle Shanahan said Sermon is a candidate for short-term IR but that decision hasn't been finalized yet.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) November 29, 2021
Sermon has rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 41 carries in his rookie season.
Highlight show
Need more Buckeye action from Week 12? The clips below share some of the highs and lows.
Taylor Decker will fight on until the very end pic.twitter.com/goNmYg25K8
— LionsNationCP (@CpLions) November 26, 2021
Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon playing catch ft. Jerry Rice in a GOAT beanie pic.twitter.com/bOo91a8V6Q
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) November 28, 2021
We sucked out there. We didnt get the job done.
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 28, 2021
Cameron Heyward pic.twitter.com/M0gcZ9TXjY
.@DenzelWard takes it right back! #Browns
— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2021
: #CLEvsBAL on NBC
: https://t.co/a7J5Y5xpbt pic.twitter.com/gbyUC99d1M
| PLAYER | POS | TEAM | WEEK 12 STATS | SEASON STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELI APPLE | CB | BENGALS | 2 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU | 34 tackles, 2 INT, 5 PBU, 2 TFL, 1 FR |
| DAMON ARNETTE | CB | RAIDERS | Released | 4 tackles, 1 PBU |
| JEROME BAKER | LB | DOLPHINS | 3 tackles, 1 TFL | 64 tackles, 1 sack (10 yards), 2 TFL, 8 QBH, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 1 FF |
| VONN BELL | S | BENGALS | 3 tackles | 65 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 PBU, 2 FF, 1 FR |
| JOEY BOSA | DE | CHARGERS | 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QBH, 1 FF | 36 tackles, 7.5 sacks (50 yards), 4 TFL, 15 QBH, 4 FF |
| NICK BOSA | DE | 49ERS | 2 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QBH | 36 tackles, 11 sacks (79 yards), 16 TFL, 23 QBH, 1 PBU, 2 FF |
| NOAH BROWN | WR | COWBOYS | 6 catches, 53 yards | 12 catches, 143 yards |
| BARON BROWNING | LB | BRONCOS | 7 tackles, 1 PBU | 23 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 PBU |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | WR | COLTS | IR (foot) | 10 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD |
| JONATHON COOPER | LB | BRONCOS | 1 tackle | 21 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 5 QBH |
| WYATT DAVIS | OG | VIKINGS | Inactive | 5 games played |
| TAYLOR DECKER | OT | LIONS | Started at LT | 3 starts |
| J.K. DOBBINS | RB | RAVENS | IR (knee) | |
| NATE EBNER | DB | GIANTS | Inactive | 2 tackles |
| PAT ELFLEIN | C | PANTHERS | Started at C | 5 starts |
| EZEKIEL ELLIOTT | RB | COWBOYS | 9 rushes, 25 yards, 1 TD; 6 catches, 24 yards | 160 rushes, 720 yards, 8 TD; 38 catches, 228 yards |
| LUKE FARRELL | TE | JAGUARS | Inactive | 6 catches, 49 yards |
| JUSTIN FIELDS | QB | BEARS | Inactive | 115/198 passing, 1,361 yards, 4 TD, 8 INT; 56 rushes, 311 yards, 1 TD |
| JORDAN FULLER | S | RAMS | 7 tackles, 2 PBU | 80 tackles, 2 TFL, 4 PBU |
| DaVON HAMILTON | DT | JAGUARS | 1 QBH | 23 tackles, 1 sack (12 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QBH, 1 PBU |
| JOHNATHAN HANKINS | DT | RAIDERS | 3 tackles, 1 PBU | 28 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 PBU |
| MALIK HARRISON | LB | RAVENS | Played | 19.5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH |
| DWAYNE HASKINS | QB | STEELERS | Inactive | |
| CAMERON HEYWARD | DT | STEELERS | 8 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QBH | 57 tackles, 5.5 sacks (40.5 yards), 5 TFL, 9 QBH, 1 INT, 6 PBU, 1 FF, 1 FR |
| JUSTIN HILLIARD | LB | GIANTS | IR (ankle) | 2 games played |
| JALYN HOLMES | DE | SAINTS | 1 tackle, 1 TFL | 5 tackles, 2 TFL |
| MALIK HOOKER | S | COWBOYS | 5 tackles | 23 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD |
| SAM HUBBARD | DE | BENGALS | 2 tackles, 1 sack (4 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 FR | 46 tackles, 7.0 sacks (29.0 yards), 10 TFL, 11 QBH, 3 PBU, 2 FR |
| CARLOS HYDE | RB | JAGUARS | 6 rushes, 16 yards | 62 rushes, 227 yards; 10 catches, 60 yards |
| JONAH JACKSON | OG | LIONS | Started at LG | 11 starts |
| MALCOLM JENKINS | S | SAINTS | 3 tackles | 55 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PBU, 1 TD |
| CAMERON JOHNSTON | P | TEXANS | 5 punts, 47.2 avg., 2 inside 20 | 60 punts, 46.5 avg, 27 inside 20 |
| DRE'MONT JONES | DT | BRONCOS | 3 tackles, 1 QBH | 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks (14.5 yards), 5 TFL, 6 QBH, 1 PBU, 2 FF |
| JAMARCO JONES | OT | SEAHAWKS | Inactive | 1 start, 7 games played |
| MICHAEL JORDAN | OG | PANTHERS | Started at LG | 6 starts, 7 games played |
| MARSHON LATTIMORE | CB | SAINTS | 5 tackles, 1 PBU | 40 tackles, 1 INT, 10 PBU |
| TYQUAN LEWIS | DT | COLTS | IR (knee) | 15 tackles, 2.5 sacks (3.5 yards), 3 TFL, 6 QBH, 1 INT, 2 PBU |
| COREY LINSLEY | C | CHARGERS | Started at C | 11 starts |
| TERRY McLAURIN | WR | WFT | 4 catches, 51 yards | 58 catches, 786 yards, 5 TD |
| RAEKWON McMILLAN | LB | PATRIOTS | IR (knee) | |
| JAKE McQUAIDE | LS | COWBOYS | Played at LS | 1 tackle |
| JOSH MYERS | C | PACKERS | IR (knee) | 5 starts |
| ANDREW NORWELL | OL | JAGUARS | Started at LG | 10 starts |
| JEFF OKUDAH | CB | LIONS | IR (leg) | 4 tackles, 1 PBU |
| BILLY PRICE | C | GIANTS | Started at C | 10 starts |
| ISAIAH PRINCE | OT | BENGALS | Played | 10 games played |
| BRADLEY ROBY | CB | SAINTS | 8 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU | 16 tackles, 1 sack (7 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QBH, 1 INT, 2 PBU |
| CURTIS SAMUEL | WR | WFT | 1 catch, 9 yards, 1 carry, 4 yards | 5 catches, 28 yards; 1 carry, 4 yards |
| TREY SERMON | RB | 49ERS | Played, injured | 31 rushes, 136 yards; 1 catch, 23 yards; 1 FC, 2 tackles |
| KENDALL SHEFFIELD | CB | FALCONS | Inactive | 3 games played |
| MICHAEL THOMAS | WR | SAINTS | PUP (ankle) | |
| TOMMY TOGIAI | DT | BROWNS | Inactive | 2 tackles |
| NICK VANNETT | TE | SAINTS | 1 catch, 11 yards, 1 TD | 2 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD |
| SHAUN WADE | CB | PATRIOTS | Played | 2 games played |
| DENZEL WARD | CB | BROWNS | 1 tackle, 1 INT, 1 PBU | 29 tackles, 0.5 sack (2 yards), 2 QBH, 2 INT, 8 PBU, 1 TD |
| PETE WERNER | LB | SAINTS | 3 tackles | 38 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 QBH |
| CHASE YOUNG | DE | WFT | IR (knee) | 26 tackles, 2 sacks (7 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QBH, 1 PBU, 2 FF |
